Appeal by Bin Laden son to enter Britain fails

LONDON: An attempt by one of Osama bin Laden’s sons to visit Britain has been rejected by an immigration tribunal amid questions about his proposed marriage to a British woman and his attitude to his father.Omar bin Laden, 28, lost his appeal against Britain’s refusal in April last year to allow him to immigrate with British-born Zaina Alsabah, 54, whom he claimed to have married in his homeland of Saudi Arabia in 2007.The deputy president of the asylum and immigration tribunal, Mark Ockelton, said their union ”was not to be regarded as valid in English law”, partly because they were both married to other people at the time.Mr Ockelton added that he was ”not satisfied” that the pair, who met in 2006, had any intention of marrying or living together.In rejecting Mr bin Laden’s request last year, British authorities in Egypt, where the couple were living, cited as one reason his ”continuing loyalty” to his father and said his presence in Britain could cause ”public concern”.Mr Ockelton said a person’s parents should not count against them in deciding whether or not they were allowed into Britain, but said Mr bin Laden’s view that his father was not a terrorist ”might cause concern”.”It seems to me that the presence in the United Kingdom of a person closely related to Osama bin Laden and expressing the views that the appellant does express would be likely to cause public disquiet and perhaps public disorder,” he said.Omar is the fourth of 11 children by his father’s first wife and one of reportedly 19 fathered by the man who claimed responsibility for the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.He has claimed not to have seen his father since 2000. Zaina, formerly known as Jane Felix-Browne, had been married at least five times before, the tribunal ruling said. She was described as ”in poor health, suffering from multiple sclerosis”.Agence France-Presse